The Financial Times  reported that Qualcomm was making the push in a bid to try and get Apple to settle the legal battle between the two firms.

On 10 December, the Fuzhou Intermediate People’s Court granted two injunctions, stopping the import and sale of iPhone models ranging from the iPhone 6 to the iPhone X, in response to patent violation claims by Qualcomm.

The two patents in question are for functionality that allows users to reformat photos and manage applications on a touchscreen when using phone apps.

Additional suits were pending in courts in Beijing, Qingdao and Guangzhou, Jiang said.

In a statement issued after the 10 December court injunctions, Apple said: "Qualcomm’s effort to ban our products is another desperate move by a company whose illegal practices are under investigation by regulators around the world.

“All iPhone models remain available for our customers in China. Qualcomm is asserting three patents they had never raised before, including one which has already been invalidated. We will pursue all our legal options through the courts.”

The two companies have been entangled in legal brawls for some time now.